Development of Apartments in Commercial 1 Zone (C1Z) in City of Yarra, Melb

My brother in law was looking at a property along a main road in the City of Yarra, Melb, and was asking me whether you can build apartments on the property as there is apartment building further down the same road. The land in question is marked as C1Z commercial 1 zone, Whereas the apartments further down the road are in a mixed use zone.

Further investigation on their behalf found the following:
http://www.allens.com.au/pubs/env/foenv10may13.htm?classic=true
where in one part of the document it says:
"
Commercial 1 Zone
The purpose of the new Commercial 1 Zone is primarily for mixed-use centres, including retail, office and commercial uses with the potential for high-density residential developments. It will apply on land currently zoned Business 1, 2 and 5 Zone. All retail uses (except adult sex bookshops) are as of right uses in this zone, as are all accommodation uses (other than corrective institutions), subject to satisfying a 2-metre frontage condition.

The new zone contains some notable changes from the draft version of the zone:

• The new zone will allow floor space limits on office and shop uses in 'rural municipalities', by translating all existing limits into a schedule to the new zone. Floor space limits on these uses will not otherwise be allowed within the urban growth boundary in metropolitan Commercial 1 Zones.
• Residential use in this zone will not require a planning permit, subject to a condition that the ground-floor frontage does not exceed two metres. This is intended to encourage an 'optimum' mix of employment and residential uses within the zone.

So what does this mean? Can you build apartments on commercial zoning? Will it be straightforward, or additional issues rather than something that may be zoned correctly?

 

Simple answer is YES.


Will it be easier to get Permit approved?? probably not.

You will need carry out little bit more research, for example

zoning for neighboring properties
Overlays (Design, landscaping etc)
Orientation
Size/slope of the block.
special setback requirements (if any)


I hope this helps!

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Its a corner block, around 450sqm. Adjacent to it, the zoning is NRZ1. The block is typically North facing, with the side street NE?. Land is flat.

There is an environmental overlay (EAO), and Heritage overlay (HO), Heritage overlay schedule (HO330).

Any further thoughts?

 

We wouldn't pay top money for such property.

Abutting property is NRZ1...so any design will have to respect that.

The other three overlay just makes it even harder.

Having said that, if you can pick it up for bargain, it may turn out money spinner for you!

Good luck!

 

Heritage Overlay may constrict you from developing anything. Best to speak to council in regards to it

 

Potential but yes the NRZ means you need to step down at the interface. Heritage is broad- check whether the property is on the register and what restrictions apply in the Schedule( its a simple table of do's and dont's). This will require a productive face to face meeting with Council's heritage officer- who are usually consultants. The key points to look for are the height restrictions. How will you manage parking and waste management? Being north facing means there wil be shadowing to the rear and one side- the other side I presume is the side street.
Price wise- S Yarra is selling upwards of $1.7m?